I Did It for Love
by D.S.K.27-FT
Summary: Erza never knew what a true family was like. Both of her parents were killed in a sudden car crash, leaving her with barely any protection from the outside world, until she met a stoical but caring boy named Natsu Dragneel... #10: Leaving Impressions R&R Please!
1. Foreword & Prologue

I Did It for Love, Fairy Tail FanFic for the Natsu D. & Erza S. pair.

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_**Foreword**_

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Summary: Erza Scarlet never knew what a true family was like. Both of her parents were killed in a sudden car crash, leaving her with barely any protection from the outside world. She forced herself to get a job at a small bakery, and was taken under the custody of the owner. She lived in poverty, and could not receive a proper education. However, one day, her life would change completely, and it was all thanks to a stoical but caring boy named Natsu Dragneel.

_Characters:_

1.) Erza Scarlet (Erza):

Seventeen years-old. Her parents got in a car crash when she was ten, and ever since she has been trying to cope on her own. She has a job at the local bakery, selling pastries for the old lady who runs it. In her spare time, she reads. And reads. And reads. Although she has never had a proper education, she is more intelligent than she should be. She is polite, sweet, shy, and determined to change her way of life.

2.) Natsu Dragneel:

Eighteen years-old, and living in the lap of luxury. His father is the head of Dragneel University, where he attends, while his mother is a highly renowned artist around Tokyo. Although Natsu is fawned over by a huge amount of girls at school, he doesn't pay any attention to him. His one and only goal is to please his parents by studying law. He plans on becoming an acclaimed lawyer when he is able to. Thanks to his inability to make decisions for himself, he rebels against his manipulative father, to finally get what he truly wants.

3.) Jellal Fernandez:

Natsu's best friend since childhood. He also comes from a prestigious family, but his ego is well-balanced. He knows Natsu better than he even knows himself, and practically serves as his mentor. He is known for his outgoing and friendly personality, surprisingly high grades, and his brotherly relationship with Natsu.

And for the story proper, here I go.

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**I Did It for Love Chapter 1: Prologue**

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_A/N: This is two years before the actual story begins! The future chapters will be longer, don't worry. =)_

Erza lay against a run-down brick wall, panting heavily as if she were out of breath. She had woken from a vivid, terrifying dream-the same one she dreamt every night. Small beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead as the dream replayed itself in her mind, without her consent. The fact that she was sleeping around the corner of a busy street did not help her calm down at all. She got to her knees and carefully picked up a shard of discolored glass (which must have come from a beer bottle) with her index and middle finger, then took a look at her reflection.

"I'm still ugly," She murmured to herself, fixing strands of hair that were out of place.

Why do I need to live like this? She wondered as she rubbed her eyes.

Although she woke up to a bad start, the weather looked nice. Shielding her eyes from the scorching sun, she picked up her worn-out and tattered sketchbook. She flipped to a brand new page-which did not look brand new at all- and glanced around for something that was actually worth drawing. Drawing was the one thing she could do, without worrying about money. As soon as her hand brushed against the slightly wrinkled paper, she felt motivated. She picked up a piece of charcoal rock from the ground and tossed it up and down as she watched the cars dash by prolongedly.

Her eyes finally stopped wandering, as they lingered inadvertently on a tall, thin, figure. He was sitting on a bench several feet away from her, holding his phone to his ear.

"Yes Father. Wakarimashita," He said, nodding.

Erza could see a smile pulling at his lips, and she couldn't help but smile, too. A moment later, he put his phone away and remained alone on the bench, whistling to himself.

Although she could barely hear it, his whistling put her in a trance. He turned his head slightly to the side, giving her a full view of his face. He had full lips that curved upwards at the corners, high cheekbones, and obsidian-colored, almond-shaped eyes. His spiky pink-hair caught her attention the most, and he looked no older than she was. He wore a black-and-white flannel shirt that fit loosely on his body. In her opinion, he looked like a model.

She didn't realize she was staring until he looked straight in her direction. _No_- he was looking in her direction, not at her. His eyes flicked away, and she immediately began sharpening the piece of charcoal against the dusty gravel on the ground, then carefully traced his face structure. She continuously looked up to see if the boy had noticed her at all, which he didn't. By the time she finished defining his eyes, he was gone. Regardless of whether he was there or not, though, she continued her hard work. One thing about Erza was that once she started trying her hardest, she never stopped.

(To Be Continued in **Chapter 2: The Road to Rebellion**)

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I know it's a bit short, but as what I have promised you, the future chapter will be more longer for you to read and enjoy.

Please do review before reading the next chapter! Thanks! And I'll be waiting! =w=

**Auf Wiedersehen!  
**

**NxE427-FT**


	2. The Road to Rebellion

I Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

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Re-cap:

She didn't realize she was staring until he looked straight in her direction. _No_- he was looking in her direction, not at her. His eyes flicked away, and she immediately began sharpening the piece of charcoal against the dusty gravel on the ground, then carefully traced his face structure. She continuously looked up to see if the boy had noticed her at all, which he didn't. By the time she finished defining his eyes, he was gone. Regardless of whether he was there or not, though, she continued her hard work. One thing about Erza was that once she started trying her hardest, she never stopped.

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**I Did It for Love Chapter 2: Road to Rebellion**

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"Mr. Dragneel, you must wake up now. Your father has requested a conference with you this morning."

The middle-aged maid strode into the king-size room and opened the curtains. The blazing sunlight poured into every corner of the room, causing the young boy to swear under his breath. Natsu groaned and barely opened his eyes, then plummeted under the covers in defeat. Waking up was not on his _To-Do List_ today.

"Please, Natsu, don't be so impossible. Your father is probably getting _impatient by now_. You know you don't want to upset him."

However, he knew she was right. His father was a stern and cold man who did not like to be kept waiting. _Kun ga machi takunaiyo._

With that, he grudgingly let go of the covers and climbed out of bed. Natsu beckoned the maid out of his room and locked the door. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the temporarily blurry vision, and found himself standing in front of the mirror. He smirked as he checked out out the handsome reflection that was staring back at him. He threw on a hoodie-his father didn't like to see him shirtless-and ran a hand through his spiked hair.

After he unlocked the door and left the room, Natsu sprinted downstairs, lucky not to miss a step. As he passed by the kitchen, he noticed a solitary mug of coffee and drank it without any regrets.

The door to the office was already opened, so he walked in nonchalantly. His father, who was clearly trying to avoid eye contact for the time being, sat in a swivel chair behind a high-end mahogany desk.

"Come in, son." He murmured coldly.

"Ohayou," Natsu bowed, then took a seat across from his senior.

There was awkward silence, and the only thing making noise was the busy printer.

Finally, his father spoke up. "You do realize what I called you here for, right?"

Natsu shook his head frankly. "_Iie, _I don't."

There was another awkward silence and a shuffling of papers. The printer had already stopped.

"Son, what exactly are your life goals?"

"Life goals, as in college?"

He received an incredulous stare. "Yes, as in college. What other goals do you have?"

Natsu's father had an extremely harsh way of saying things. He never worried about insulting others; as long as his point got across correctly, everything else was irrelevant. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to listening wholeheartedly to his father and avoiding replies.

"You already decided that I would be studying law," He replied.

Although he could be asked a question, Natsu never made decisions of his own. It was always his father who rolled the dice, and it was either his way or no way at all. He had gotten used to that, too.

"Correct. And do you know what you need to do to become a lawyer?"

"I have to study."

What else could he have said?

"You get blunter and blunter everyday..." His father muttered, as if Natsu wasn't supposed to hear that. "What else are you required to do?"

Now, he honestly didn't know how to reply.

Mr. Dragneel cleared his throat. "In order to study properly and succeed in any goal, you are required to dispose of all distractions. What distractions are in your everyday life, son?"

He shrugged. There were plenty of things that could be considered distractions. But in his father's mind, anything that wasn't sold in bookstores and couldn't be read was a distraction.

"_**No television, parties, video games, music, girlfriends, or cell phones are prohibited.**_"

_So basically, you're taking away a typical teenager's life?_ Natsu almost barked. That was practically abuse.

"What about friends; can I socialize? And wouldn't I need my phone for whenever I go out?"

"You can socialize, but only on weekends," he affirmed, "and yes, but only when you go out. Are we clear?"

Then I'll have to go out a whole lot.

"Yes, I understand."

Mr. Dragneel turned in his chair and continued his work. Natsu took this as a turn to leave, and so he did.

As frustrated as he was, he could never voice it. His father was the head of Dragneel University, one of Japan's most prestigious universities. In fact, he would be attending to get his degree law.

His mother, however, was the polar opposite of her husband. She was one of Tokyo's most popular artists, and actually wanted the best for her son. Unfortunately, her plans for him never helped, thanks to his _fantastic_ dad.

_Enough complaining_, Natsu scolded himself. That won't help the situation at all.

(To be continued in **Chapter 3: Sweeter than Sweets**)

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A/N: I'm so sorry for the shortness! But the story's just starting... =)

**NxE427-FT**


	3. Sweeter than Sweets

I Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

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**Chapter 3: Sweeter than Sweets**

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Bells chimed as a little girl shoved the door to the bakery open. The aroma of freshly baked goods, such as cookies and muffins, pervaded the old, pastel-pink room. The little girl trotted to the display case, pressing her nose against the glass. She examined every pastry closely as an older woman chuckled softly.

"Good evening, dear. May I help you?" The woman asked gently.

The little girl nodded and jabbed her finger at the glass, pointing at a small and pink frosted cupcake.

"Erza," the woman called, "will you please help our young customer?"

A young girl, about seventeen years-old, walked out of the kitchen and stood behind the display case. Her long, scarlet-red hair was tied into a high ponytail that twirled at the tips as it reached her shoulders. She had plump, pink lips and round cheeks much like a doll's. She wore a plain, olive green t-shirt and shorts that were frayed on the bottom. She had a pleasant and welcoming smile that practically brightened the whole room.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," She said quietly. "What would you like?"

The little girl repeatedly jabbed her finger at the cupcake, without a word.

Erza chuckled and opened the case, carefully taking out the cupcake. "That would be _one-hundred and fifty_ Yen, please."

The girl remained silent. It occurred to her that the girl was alone, without a guardian.

"Did you come with your parents?"

The girl shook her head.

Although she didn't have enough money, Erza couldn't let the girl leave without her cupcake. _That cupcake could brighten her day_, she thought.

She looked around, then took the cupcake and leaned over the display, handing the girl the cupcake. "Here, enjoy!" She whispered.

The little girl's eyes widened and a widening grin appeared on her face. "A-Arigatou gozaimasu!"

She licked the frosting, and Erza laughed when it got on the tip of her nose. "You're very welcome. Come again soon!"

The girl skipped out of the door, and the bells hanging on the door chimed again.

* * *

Erza got an old rag and began to clean. She hummed to herself as she scrubbed the tables diligently. Even though she took her time, there was not much to clean in the first place. Unfortunately, the bakery wasn't very popular. Erza thought it should have been the most popular bakery in Tokyo, though. _All the sweets are made with affection and time. We all try our hardest, and our prices are sensible. Whenever someone comes by, they leave pleased_. Erza remembered saying that to the owner once.

The owner of the shop, Mrs. Kanagawa, was like the mother she never had. When Erza began working at the bakery, the Kanagawas allowed her to move in with them out of the kindness in their hearts. Although they were extremely poor and could not afford anything more than food and clothing, she was completely grateful for everything she had. The old couple was unconditionaly loving, and did not scold her once.

She had forgotten what a family was like, since she was robbed of hers at a young age. Erza's parents got into a car crash when she was only ten years-old, which left her on the streets. She was desparate for help, and the only way she met her neccessities was by singing for passers-by. Most of the time, they would give her money, which she usually spent on food.

"That was very sweet of you, dear," Said a frail voice from behind her.

She turned around to face Mrs. Kanagawa. "What was?"

"How you gave that sweet little girl the cupcake for free. And how you're cleaning up, although I didn't ask you to. I appreciate it very much."

Erza chuckled. "Well, I couldn't possibly take it away from her just because she didn't have the money...if I were in her position, I would have been devastated."

Mrs. Kanagawa walked to the door and flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed".

"You've done more than enough today, Dear. It's late already, so you should go to sleep."

The younger girl gave her a hug and left.

(To be continued in **Chapter 4: Jellal Fernandez**)

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A/N: I know. You wanted a longer chapter, but I'll leave you with this first... And by the way were you already waiting for the _**NatsuXErza **_ moment?

**Auf Widersehen!**

**NxE427-FT  
**

**[And please, from now on, call me Daisuke. Okay? And another thing, if I didn't get enough reviews (Let's say if I didn't get 15+ reviews by chapter 4, I'm going to discontinue the story, BUT... I'm not forcing you to give me a review okay? I just have this feeling that... I just can't explain why I don't get enough reviews...) and I'm not dreaming big on getting that 15+ reviews by chapter 4, okay? I may be a bit harsh today but, I'm just expressing what I feel... I'm not angry, just disappointed not getting enough reviews... =) ]  
**


	4. Jellal Fernandez

I Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

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Re-cap:

The owner of the shop, Mrs. Kanagawa, was like the mother she never had. When Erza began working at the bakery, the Kanagawas allowed her to move in with them out of the kindness in their hearts. Although they were extremely poor and could not afford anything more than food and clothing, she was completely grateful for everything she had. The old couple was unconditionaly loving, and did not scold her once.

She had forgotten what a family was like, since she was robbed of hers at a young age. Erza's parents got into a car crash when she was only ten years-old, which left her on the streets. She was desparate for help, and the only way she met her neccessities was by singing for passers-by. Most of the time, they would give her money, which she usually spent on food.

"That was very sweet of you, dear," Said a frail voice from behind her.

She turned around to face Mrs. Kanagawa. "What was?"

"How you gave that sweet little girl the cupcake for free. And how you're cleaning up, although I didn't ask you to. I appreciate it very much."

Erza chuckled. "Well, I couldn't possibly take it away from her just because she didn't have the money...if I were in her position, I would have been devastated."

Mrs. Kanagawa walked to the door and flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed".

"You've done more than enough today, Dear. It's late already, so you should go to sleep."

The younger girl gave her a hug and left.

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**Chapter 4: Jellal Fernandez**

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It was eight-o'clock in the morning, and the bakery had just opened for the day. Erza was sitting on a stool, reading a book, as usual. Unfortunately for her, the book's plot (which revolved around an alternate universe full of mythical creatures) wasn't enough to keep her interested, and she dozed off. Her head was layed flat against the marble counter while the book was on the ground.

The bells hanging on the door chimed musically, and a cold gust of wind rushed into the room. It was enough to wake Erza up. Her head jerked up and she rubbed her eyes, then stretched her arms. While leaning down to pick up the dropped book, she noticed that there was somebody watching awkwardly.

He was tall, skinny, and much resembled a Spanish teenager. His features were somewhat elfish. He had high cheekbones and a flat chin; a feeble grin formed as he watched her. He had blue-colored hair and a red tatoo on the left side of his face that looks weird on him but it fits him perfectly with that smile so young it enhanced his youth. A cream-white coat was draped over his shoulder, on top of a white and red-striped long-sleeved shirt.

"What the..." she groaned while standing up properly.

He waved awkwardly. " *_Buenos dias_! _Ustedes están abiertos, ¿verdad_?"

Erza looked at the Spanish teenager with confusion. "_Buenos dias? Ustedes están abiertos, ¿verdad?_"

The Spanish teenager laughed awkardly. "Oh! I'm sorry. Ohayou gozaimasu. You guys are open right?"

"Yes. May I help you with anything?" She asked, walking to the fresh display of sweets.

The boy looked around curiously. "May I see the cupcakes, please?"

Erza took out a fresh batch of cupcakes that she baked and decorated before she fell asleep. "I recently made these, so you might be more interested in them."

"Oh wow..." He mumbled, sniffing the fresh scent. "They look great!"

"Would you like to try one?"

"_Onegaishimasu_..." His mouth was watering as she handed him one of the cupcakes. "Thank you."

He took a small bite. His eyes widened, savoring the ambrosial taste. "I-It's incredible!"

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu!" she bowed.

The look on his face was worth a million dollars. He looked astonished as he finished it. "I'll take a dozen of these!"

Erza chuckled. "That's the entire batch, sir."

"How much?" he asked, pulling out his wallet.

"It's about one-hundered and fifty yen for each...so that would come out to be...about one thousand and eight hundred yen?"

_She figured that out so quickly_, he thought. He skimmed through the wallet and pulled out two wriknled thousands. That was the best cupcake he had ever tried in his life. It was fluffy and oozed with warmth, melting in his mouth before he got the chance to swallow it. The cupcake tasted like no other-rich and chewy and indulged with affection. One-hundred and fifty yen wasn't a good enough price for it; even the renowned ones his parents would bring home to him often weren't as good. You know what? He thought, this girl needs a tip. He took out a ten thousand bill from his wallet and handed it to her.

"It was one thousand and eight hundred, not ten thousand..." she corrected him.

"You deserve the extra money!"

"Oh...thank you!" She bowed again, putting the money inside her book. Not once had she gotten tipped. Coming to think of it, not once had someone come so early in the morning.

"By the way," he added, "these aren't all for me."

Erza chuckled and packed the cupcakes into a box, giving it to him . "I figured."

"Thanks again!" He said, still in awe by that flawless pastry.

"You're welcome, _mata irasshai_!"

She held open the door, and he waved and walked out.

* * *

The boy pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number that he knew well.

"_Allo_? (Hello?)" mumbled a sleepy voice on the other line.

"Did I wake you up, _o-chibi_?" he asked, although he really didn't care if he did or didn't.

"It's not like I would want to be awake this early, _nii-chan._" The reply was harsh, but true. No big deal.

"Sorry, Natsu," he sighed sarcastically. "I'm going over."

"No you're not," his friend snapped.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" He whined mockingly.

Natsu swore under his breath, but it was clear enough to understand. "No...but my dad lectured me yesterday..."

Facepalm. The boy knew how strict his friend's father was and, from what he heard, his lectures were always discordant. But that wasn't an adequate excuse.

"So..why can't I come over?"

"Tch. Because I want to sleep."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm coming over," He decided, carrying the box in the crook of his arm.

* * *

"Oi... these are incredible!" Natsu exclaimed, licking crumbs off his fingers.

"I know! And they were at an awesome price, too."

"Where the hell did you find them?" He replied, taking the wrapper off another and plopping it into his mouth. "You always have a way of finding things, _nii-chan_." His words were barely comprehendible.

Jellal wiped his crumby mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "At a bakery around the corner of my block."

"Take me there soon," his friend demanded.

"Oh yeah, and did I tell you that a _cute_ girl works there?" He smirked foolishly.

Natsu's eyes widened; he looked like a little kid who just passed by a candy store. "_Hontou ni_?"

"Yup," Jellal nodded. "She's really nice, too."

Now Natsu was sure that this was a practical joke. He decided not to pay attention to the thought, and enjoyed the impeccable cupcake in front of him.

"She gave me the first cupcake for free."

Something about that last sentence sent a surge of jealousy through his body. He wanted a cupcake for free, too!

"Hey, Natsu, _daijobu_?"

He didn't realize how he stayed silent. "Oh, um, yeah!"

Jellal rolled his eyes. "You're jealous."

"Jealous of what?" He scoffed.

"Either the cupcake, or the girl. I can't tell yet."

He and Jellal had been best friends since birth. Both of their families were major leaders in money making, and they always had ties because of that. The two of them were always together, and knew each other better than they knew themselves. Jellal had an odd way of knowing how Natsu felt, and why. It was interesting, but more creepy.

"It's the cupcake," Natsu admitted. The two of them laughed.

"So...what exactly did your dad tell you yesterday?" Jellal asked.

"He mentioned stuff about how I'm studying law...and how I can't have any distractions..."

"Oh, so the usual?"

He nodded. "Do you think he expects too much from me?"

"He does. You're smart, Natsu. Even with all the distractions in the world, you would still rank the highest in your class. My dad doesn't even do that!"

Not to toot his own horn, but Natsu knew that Jellal was correct. It was truly unfair how he couldn't do all the things that a typical eighteen year-old could. However, he would be able to move out soon, and he couldn't wait.

To avoid negative energy, he refocused his attention to the cupcakes.

"Don't forget to take me to that bakery soon, alright?"

(To be continued in **Chapter 5: The First Encounter**)

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Ever wondered why they called '_o-chibi_' and '_nii-chan_' to each other? If anyone can guess it right wins a cookie.

And sorry for killing everyone who were waiting for an NxE moment. You're going to love the next chapter!

**Auf Wiedersehen!**

**NxE427-FT / Daisuke**

**Kuroyagi! Can I ask you something? Is my Spanish sentence right? If I'm wrong please, please! Can you give me the correct one? Thanks! [Despite living in a country where Spanish was once used as the Official Language, I'm still hopeless at Spanish.]**

**( * Added at 13.00 +08.00 Manila Time) *I've also heard that the NaLu pair is going to be cannon? I can't believe it.  
**


	5. The First Encounter

I Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

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Before proceeding to Chapter 5, I have news for everyone. Since the **"If I don't get 15+ reviews by Chapter 4"** mark has exceeded, I'm going to continue the story! Also, ignore of what I have said on the news on my profile. As a gift to everyone, I'm going to have my first mini chapter! And also, after reviewing this chapter, don't forget to participate on the poll posted on my profile! Your participation is very much appreciated!

***And also, on my recent question [Refer to chapter 4 please.]... Jacovy and inu no oniichan got it correcly! **

**Nightlingbolt - I'm sorry. I've just heard rumors. But it's not official. So there's still chance for the NaZa fans like us.  
**

**^I'm also going to make a new NaZa multi-chaptered fic, "Baby Steps". Loosely based on the lyrics of the song "Baby Steps" sung by Girls Generation-TTS.**

* * *

**Chapter 4.5: The "I Did It for Love" Mini Chapter Part 1 entitled: "Hot Issue!"**

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Now that we have shed light on all of our beloved characters, let's have a short re-cap on the first four chapters:

Erza is a seventeen-year old who lost her parents in a sudden car crash when she was ten and works at a small bakery in Tokyo, selling pastries for the old lady running it. Natsu and Jellal were the closest of friends and calls each other '_O-chibi_' and '_Nii-chan_' respectively and is studying at Dragneel University, Erza's dream school. She met Jellal a few days later, then the boy visited her everyday in the morning after he fell in-love with the taste of the cupcakes. He would give her tips ranging from two hundred yen up to a ten-thousand yen, which she hesitantly accepted at first but then got used to it.

Jellal sends half of the cupcakes to Natsu everytime he stops by the bakery and they shared it. Natsu also liked the taste of the cupcakes, which was really good. He then asked Jellal to take him to the bakery, as soon as possible.

**Under the "Erza arc", we had Chapters 1 & 3, respectively. Chapters 2 & 4 will be under the "Natsu & Jellal arc". Now that we had exited the two arcs, we're going to enter a new arc named "The First Encounter Arc", hence the title of the new chapter "The First Encounter". **

**#1: Prologue (Mainly focuses on Erza with a bit of light on Natsu, under the Erza arc.)**

**#2: The Road to Rebellion (Mainly focuses on Natsu, under the Natsu & Jellal arc)**

**#3: Sweeter than Sweets (Mainly focuses on Erza, under the Erza arc.)**

**#4: Jellal Fernandez (Mainly focuses on Erza & Jellal, with a bit of light on Natsu, under the Natsu & Jellal arc.)**

**Okay! That's for the brief explanation of the first four chapters of my fic "I Did It for Love", and for the moment everyone's waiting for... An NxE chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 : The First Encounter**

* * *

Over the past month, nobody visited the bakery except for Jellal. It was clear that Jellal was from one of the richest famiies in Tokyo. Every morning, he would go and always ate the same cupcakes. Erza was glad that she had more company than usual, especially from someone her age. The way he would fawn over her sweets always made her laugh. During this time, she learned something about him, too. He was only one year older than her, and enjoyed to read almost as much as she did. He was studying film and theatre at Dragneel University, which was her dream school.

Dragneel University was only for the most intelligent, adept, and hardworking students in the country. Mr. Kanagawa constantly praised her by mentioning how she would easily get in if they could afford it. Every day, Jellal would buy at least a dozen cupcakes (_SHE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE MANAGED TO STAY SO THIN..._), and tipped her. The tips would range from two hundred to ten thousand yen. Two hundred yen to Jellal was practically worth a yen to the rest of the world.

The climate had dropped notably, and even the heater couldn't do its job properly. Jellal sometimes brought her a small cup of hot cocoa, which she appreciated a lot. The two of them shared intense conversations, which sometimes lasted up to two hours. They talked about pretty much anything: movies, current events, dogs, cats, music. Erza always looked forward to the mornings, and that became her favorite time of day.

Meanwhile, Natsu was still kept on his toes, waiting for his friend to take him to that bakery. Every afternoon, Jellal would deliver about six cupcakes to his house, and they would devour them together. For every cupcake he ate, the urge to find this bakery on his own grew stronger. To make things even more tempting, his friend constantly spoke of the girl who worked there. According to Jellal, he believed that the girl was almost good of a friend as Natsu. This irked him slightly, although he knew it was a joke.

"_Jellal_," he would say, "what do you prefer: _me or the cupcakes_?"

Jellal wouldn't reply, but laugh instead.

* * *

A distant vibrating sound went off, and his phone began to tremble on his nightstand. A sleepy Natsu groped the surface for his obnoxiously vibrating phone, picking it up right before it would fall off and hit the ground.

"_Allo_? (Hello?)" he mumbled quietly.

"_Yo_! _O-chibi, *estás despierto_," a jubilant voice replied. Very unlike himself, the person on the other line was wide awake.

" *_Que voulez-vous_, _nii-chan_?" he sneered.

"Get up, I'm taking you somewhere."

Suddenly, Natsu was wide awake and out of bed. "You're taking me there?"

Before his friend could reply, he hung up and dashed to the closet. While fixing his unkempt bed hair, he pulled out a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved, navy blue v-neck shirt and a designer leather coat. Thoughts chased each other in his mind as he changed his clothes. What if he was mistaken, and Jellal wasn't actually taking him to the bakery? What if it was closed? What if the girl that he always talked about wasn't even there? Or what if he ended up being the awkward third-wheeler?

The next thing he knew, there was a knock on his door. "**Coming**!" He shouted while putting on his shoes, and ran downstairs.

Lucky for him, his father left to work at six in the morning, which was over an hour before he woke up. As he unlocked the giant doors at the front of the house, Jellal beamed. On the other hand, Natsu's teeth were chattering, although he hadn't been outside for a minute. He shut the door carefully and locked it, slipping the key inside his pocket. "So...where are you taking me?"

"Wow, you really are dense in the mornings!" Jellal stated.

"_Enfermer_," Natsu muttered crankily. "You didn't answer my question."

"_Te voy a llevar a la tierra de los dulces_. [I'm taking you to the land of sweets.]"

Leave it up to Jellal to make cheesy comments. "Okay?"

"Ah, just follow me." He beckoned Natsu to follow him, and he did.

The blistering cold was attacking them, and proved to be unbearable. The color was nearly sucked out of Natsu's face, and he could see the vapor coming out of his nostrils when he breathed. Things weren't very different for Jellal, but they still persisted. Along the way, they decided to stop by the local coffee store and picked up three frappuccinos.

"Don't worry, it's not much farther away." He was assured.

* * *

After five more minutes of walking, they stopped and Jellal opened the door to a tiny building that was the size of a house. It was smaller than he expected, but that was of no importance to him. Bells chimed briefly.

"_Ohayo_," Jellal said cheerily. "I brought someone today."

Natsu walked in and closed the door, then looked around until his eyes fixed themselves on a girl by the back of the room.

"Oh!" She looked up slowly; there was a book in her hands.

Waking up earlier than usual and walking in the brutal climate was completely worth visiting this girl. The pure innocence in her eyes made his feet feel glued to the ground. Her rosy and full cheeks, pouty lips, and long, dark red hair made her look like a doll. She looked like the kind of doll that every little girl wanted in her room, because she was so precious. Jellal said she was cute, but that was an underestimate. As soon as he realized he was staring, he diverted his focus to the ground. She did the same.

"_Konnichiwa_." said the most angelic voice he had ever heard. The sound of her voice was sweeter than the cupcakes that he had been so amazed by for the past week.

His voice had left him, and talking seemed impossible. He took a deep breath and gulped. "Hi." he nodded.

"Erza, this is my best friend, Natsu..._O-chibi_, this is Erza." Jellal said, completely detatched from the moment. He didn't notice the awkwardness that was going on.

_Whew, she barely noticed how we call each other. Good thing..._ Natsu told himself.

Erza stepped closer to the two boys, and he stepped forward. She held out her hand, smiling ever so lovely. "I'm Erza Scarlet, but I go by Erza. _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_."

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. It's nice to meet you, too." He reluctantly took her hand, afraid of how he would react next, and shook it.

He didn't want to let go.

He could feel his cheeks heating up, and really hoped he wasn't blushing. He knew he was, though.

"We went and got you some coffee, by the way." Jellal cleared his throat and handed her the untouched cup.

"Thank you!" She bowed at the two of them and took a sip. "It's still warm...Yum!"

"Maybe you two should get to know each other better." Jellal suggested, and took a sip out of his.

Natsu did the same. His was fairly warm, too. "Your cupcakes are perfection."

Those words weren't meant to come out, but they did.

"Thank you!" she chuckled quietly. "Did Jellal bring them to you?"

Jellal nodded.

"He comes over every day and we share them." Natsu confessed. "And they're really the best cupcakes I've ever tried."

She was blushing and looked away. "Thank you..."

Something about his name sounded very familiar to her.

"W-What school do you go to?" She stuttered.

"Dragneel University. My father is the head."

She nearly gasped. So this was the son of the head of her dream school? Erza felt honored, and unworthy of talking to someone of such a successful family. Besides that, she felt even more honored to be talking to someone so. . .attractive. There was something about him-maybe his full lips, perfectly high cheekbones, or the matureness in his demeanor. Or maybe it was his serious and deep look in his obsidian-colored, almond-shaped eyes. Or maybe it was his spiky pink-hair that complemented him so wonderfully. Everything about him looked so natural to her, so curteous, so mature. He was seemingly ideal.

"Are you studying anything in particular?"

"I'm majoring in political science and pre-law." He declared, matter-of-factly.

Jellal took a sip of his coffee. "Yup. He'll be one fine lawyer."

Natsu shot a glare at him. He hated when people boasted about him. And besides, he didn't want Erza to think of him as the rich, ingenious Dragneel that everyone knew him as. He was so much more than that.

"And you'll be one fine actor!" Erza added.

He noticed the book she was reading was now cradled in her arm.

"What book is that?" He asked politely.

"It's called Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up." She showed him the cover.

"Oh, you read self-improvement?"

"She's a self-improvement junkie." Jellal joked.

"I'm not a junkie," she corrected, "but it's my favorite genre."

"How old are you?" Natsu asked quietly. She looked as young as he was, but acted so mature.

"I'm seventeen." Erza answered. So she was only a year younger than he was. "Why?"

He shrugged and quickly thought of a way to phrase the answer in a not-overly flattering way.

"Because you act really mature, but you look young."

Wow, he's so _kind and polite_. **Both of them are.**

"Hey, do you have any more cupcakes?" Jellal asked eagerly.

"Of course! I made plenty. How many do you two want?"

"I'll have one." Natsu said.

"I'll have three!" Jellal chimed in.

Erza left to the kitchen, and came back with a woven basket full of cupcakes. "Take as many as you want. I won't charge today." She shot a sideways glance towards Natsu, which made his heart flutter a bit.

Jellal instantly dived his hand into the basket, picking out the biggest cupcake he could find (although they were all almost evenly sized). He then walked to the nearest table and sat down to eat. Erza followed and sat down across from him, and Natsu sat. . .across from her. They both reached into the basket and each pulled out a cupcake.

"Geez, these are so amazing!" Jellal said with a full mouth.

"Thank you." She took a small bite, unlike Jellal.

"You're amazing..." Natsu accidentally said after he swallowed.

Erza stared at the table, her rosy cheeks turning even rosier.

She couldn't stop thinking he looked so familiar.

(To be continued in **Chapter 6: Glow**)

* * *

A/N: Oh the cheesiness... I can't take it anymore. So sorry for the late NxE moment guys. I nearly killed everyone. But I hope you liked it.

*_Estás despierto_. - Spanish of "You're awake."

*_Que voulez-vous_? - French of "What do you want?"

*_Enfermer. - _French of "Shut up."

[My fluency on French and Spanish are not correct and accurate so if anyone noticed any errors, please feel free to tell me so. It will be a big help. =)]

**Auf Wiedersehen!  
**

**NxE427-FT / Daisuke**


	6. Glow

i Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

**Chapter 6: Glow**

_A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait I gave you guys. This fic will be on Natsu's POV, although it will be only on this chapter._

_And also, thank you to all of you who reviewed chapter 5! And I finally got to see Kuroyagi drop by a review. [I'm really waiting for your review Kuroyagi-san, after your review on my first two NaZa stories. That helped me a lot so much! Gracias. =)]_

_Shedauwz: Thanks for the review. =) I loved your fic, Fairy Tail High. Amazing. =) *gives you tons of Natsu and Erza plushies*_

* * *

_One, Two, my heart_

_Three, Four, my breath_

_Five, Six, my entire body walks, only seeing you  
_

_One, Two, even now_

_Three, Four, even today_

_Five, Six, even tomorrow, walk toward me_

_~Baby Steps, sung by Girls Generation-TTS [Korean pop group]  
_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Glow**

* * *

_NATSU'S POV:_

The sound of the front door shutting and a car's engine roaring to life told me that it was okay to wake up. I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed, staring at my cell phone screen as it turned on. It was 11:15, which was later than I usually wake up. It didn't matter, though. There was nothing to do in the first place. I took my shirt off and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Since my father didn't approve of me walking around shirtless, and he wasn't there, I didn't care. Disobeying him, even out of his presence, always made me feel somewhat free.

Someone had already prepared a plate of pancakes for me. On the plate, there was a sticky note that read:

_Bonjour, Cher! J'ai dû sortir pour le studio pour la journée, de sorte que ces crêpes sont mes excuses à vous. Je vous suggère de les chauffer pendant trois minutes au micro-ondes, avant de manger. Have a nice day!_

_P.S.: Voulez-vous venir par le studio plus tard aujourd'hui? Tout le monde veut vous voir, il ya eu un certain temps._

_Love, Mom_

_(Good morning, Dear! I had to step out to the studio for the day, so these pancakes are my apology to you. I suggest you heat them up for three minutes in the microwave, before eating. Have a nice day!_

_P.S.: Will you come by the studio later on today? Everyone wants to see you, it's been a while._

_Love, Mom)_

A small smile grew on my face as I read the note. My mother is an incredible artist, and she works at her studio whenever she can. Up until last year, she would take me with her every Saturday. Her co-workers would coddle over me, which always made me feel uncomfortable. But they were nice people, and I didn't mind too much.

I put the pancakes into the microwave and set it for three minutes. When they were ready, I took out a fork and scarfed them down. Mom's cooking is incredible, and the sweetness of the pancakes surely woke me up. But they weren't as good as the cupcakes.

For the next hour or so, I played Starcraft and shouted at the computer. I was an _aggressive_ gamer, and playing video games was one of my top favorite things to do. I stopped when I was way too frustrated to continue. That's how it always was. The moment that I felt furious enough to throw the computer out the window was when I stopped.

Around the afternoon, I got a text from my mother.

_Quand venez-vous?_

_(When are you coming?)_

_-Mom_

I hauled myself upstairs and put on a gray long-sleeved shirt and jeans, then grabbed a pair of boots and my coat.

_Je vais maintenant._

_(I'm going now.)_

_-Natsu_

I stumbled down the stairs and out the door, into the freezing cold. The temperature hadn't heated up at all. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a text from Mom.

_Je vous suggère de prendre le bus ... il fait trop froid, et je ne veux pas que vous tomber malade!_

_(I suggest you take the bus...it's too cold, and I don't want you getting sick!)_

_-Mom_

If I were to take the bus, I would still end up getting sick. The walk from my neighborhood to the bus stop took about twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of walking in the freezing cold, plus waiting for the bus itself, was about the same as twenty minutes of standing in the pouring rain. I could feel my teeth chattering as I walked, just like with Jellal last week.

By the time I got there, it seemed miraculous that I didn't get frostbite. I sat down on the cold bench by the sidewalk and fumbled to take out my phone, which felt like it was in a freezer for two hours. Somehow, I managed to text, even with numb fingers.

_Je suis à l'arrêt de bus, ne vous inquiétez pas._

_(I'm at the bus stop, don't worry.)_

_-Natsu_

Now I had to wait for the actual bus to come. How long would it take for me to finally freeze to death? Damn it...

There was a young girl sitting against the run-down building across from me. Her long, dark, wavy hair fell over her face. She was slightly huddled over, reading a book. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear...Erza.

All thoughts and complaints about the harsh temperature left my head. I wanted to go up to her and greet her, talk to her, and listen to her speak about the book she was reading. But at the same time, I didn't. She looked so absorbed by the book, and if I bothered her, she would probably hold some kind of grudge. I had the urge to ask why she was sitting outside, when she didn't need to. She looked so tranquil, as if the cold wasn't bothering her at all. I felt tranquil too, just by staring at her.

Then I heard the sound of a giant vehicle coming to a halt close by. The fume of exhaust was in the air, and I tried not to cough. It was the bus. The doors opened and I stood up, taking one last look at her as she flipped another page. The cold rushed back into my body for a second, but then I climbed in and sat down. My body gradually regulated itself to natural warmth.

I decided to send another text to Mom.

_On y est presque._

_(Almost there.)_

_-Natsu_

_(To be continued on _**Chapter 7: A Party?**_)_

* * *

_A/N: Okay, the reason why it took a long time before this update was, I was currently addicted to watching the episodes of _**Bleach [some of you know this.]. **_Basically, I'm watching the final battle between Kurosaki Ichigo and Ulquiorra Schiffer / Cifer [My favorite characters. Kuroyagi-san, am I late on the latest episode of Bleach?] so my writing schedule was set back last night. And our summer vacation's going to end soon and I'm entering 2nd year college, so my writing schedule may be further set back so... You know... And on my poll "Who do you want for Natsu Dragneel?", _**you-know-who-you-are-who-voted-for-Lucy. [ NO BASHING intended.] **

**And also, don't forget to drop by a review on my new fic, Blue Stars. [This is a Jellal/Lucy fic, so if it is not your cup of tea, I won't force you. Unless you are.]**

**Jacovy: Auf Wiedersehen means Goodbye in German [not French].  
**

**Does someone know how to speak French here? I'm not a fluent speaker of French so, if anyone knows how to speak French... Please, please, please! Please, correct me if I'm wrong. T_T [I can't decide the "nationality" of Natsu's last name. I'm thinking about it if the surname Dragneel is French or Russian.]  
**

**_I'm also planning on having a Fairy Tail Crossover with Bleach. Kuroyagi-san, isn't that a nice idea? =) Setting for crossover fic will be set after the Fake Karakura Town arc, but I'm still deciding on the setting though._  
**

**Auf Wiedersehen!  
**

**NxE427-FT / Daisuke**


	7. A Party?

I Did it for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

* * *

**Chapter 6.5: The "I Did It for Love" Mini Chapter Part 2 entitled: "Beyond Boundaries"!**

Now that I have given everyone an NxE moment they waited for so long, I'm going to have a short re-cap for everyone.

We had already gone to two arcs: "Erza arc" and "Natsu & Jellal arc". And we're going to exit the "The First Encounter arc", Chapter 7 is going to be the last chapter under this arc and by Chapter 8, we're going to enter a new arc, "The Grand Ball arc / The Party arc". I'm still deciding whether it should be "Grand Ball" arc or "The Party" arc.

Oh! Enough of my talkies, and we shall proceed further to chapter 7. An NxE fluff! =)

* * *

**Chapter 7: A Party?**

* * *

_Dear Diary, _

_It's been a while since I've written here. I've recently made a friend; his name is Jellal Fernandez. He comes by the bakery every morning, and he's really nice. He really loves my cupcakes, and always gives me tips. We talk about nearly everything, like books and music. Jellal is my first friend, and I'm grateful for that. He is someone I feel completely comfortable around. As for my family, the Kanagawas are taking very good care of me, and I am forever grateful for them, too. They always try their hardest to provide the best for me._

_A few days ago, Jellal came by with a friend of his. His name is Natsu Dragneel, and he is the son of the head of Dragneel University. Can you believe that a Dragneel came by my bakery? I felt so honored. He is really cute, too...and apparently, he likes my cupcakes a lot! So does Jellal. Hehe. I would really like to see Natsu again...I don't know why, but he looked so familiar! Well anyway, I think I'm done writing for now. _

_Erza-chan~_

Erza closed her diary and slid it into the drawer by her bed. It was a Sunday evening, and the bakery was going to close soon. There was still about half an hour until it would actually close, though. And even though it was pointless, she needed to stay on shift. She decided to clean up a bit, and maybe start decorating some sweets for the following day.

The door opened and she turned around. To her surprise, Natsu walked in. He had a tense smile on his face.

"Um, hi." He bowed.

Erza bowed as well. "Hi!" She tried hiding the excitement in her voice.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, what is it?" She nodded.

* * *

_Earlier that day. . ._

"Natsu-kun, your father and I_** are going to throw a party**_." His mother informed him.

_My parents are throwing a party? What the hell? Especially Dad, though. . .he's finally lost his marbles_.

Natsu was bewildered. Were they trying to act younger? "What kind of party? Is it a business formal for Dad? A reunion for old college friends?"

"Silly, how could you forget? Our anniversary is coming up in three days!" She said, cheerily, while rolling her eyes.

"Isn't that sort of short notice?" He muttered, stiffly.

"Don't be so resentful towards the idea!" She nagged.

"Am I invited?"

"You are. And you're allowed to invite a few friends too, so you won't get bored. I already talked to this with your father. In fact, he was the one who suggested it."

**So his dad wanted him to be entertained? Gee, that sure was a way to throw a curveball**. "Are the Fernandezes going?"

"I'm sure they will. They were the first people we went the invitations out to. Jellal-kun will probably come, too. Won't that be fun!" She was nearly hopping up and down with glee.

Natsu wished she would stop. It irked him, mainly because she was way too old to act so immaturely.

"Which reminds me. I have a favor for you to do!"

He stifled a groan of anxiety. "Tell me."

"Well, I'm putting you in charge of the food. That means that you'll have to order and pick up everything for the party. Oh, I'll write down the list of food for you later. Do you have enough money?"

"Yes." **He had more than enough money, of course**.

"Great! Don't be afraid to ask if you need any more." She advised.

"_Merci_, Mom." Natsu walked away.

A few hours later, and his maid handed him a list written by his mom.

_24 cupcakes_

_1 three-layered red velvet cake (with a nice design, please!)_

_20 Blueberry muffins_

_30 sandwiches_

_Fruit salad_

He was going to go broke on this and hoped to be paid back. Lucky for him, he already knew where to get the sweets that were requested for the event.

So now, Natsu was at the bakery, asking Erza to help him.

He handed her the list. "My parents are having a party, and they're putting me in charge of managing the food."

Her eyes skimmed through the list and she gaped slightly.

"Is it too much for you? If it is, I-"

"No, I can do this." She shook her head, smiling. Finally, her work would pay off! And on top of that, she was baking for the Dragneel's! Thrill fluttered through her heart.

"Are you sure? If you need any help, I wouldn't mind." He wanted to help her. He knew it would take a lot of time and effort from her, and maybe she couldn't manage to do all that. Yet, intuition told him that she would be fine.

"It's okay, _arigatou_," she giggled, "by when do you need this?"

"Well, the party is in three days...so I'll come by on Wednesday morning. Is that okay?"

"Wow, I don't have much time..." there was a tone in her voice that signaled uneasiness.

"Are you sure you don't need help, Erza?" _Maybe he wasn't the best in the kitchen- in fact, maybe he was the worst-but he knew all the extra help would be beneficial_.

Her eyes were glued to the list, and she bit her lip. "_Well, maybe...I might..."_

"Want me to come by tomorrow afternoon? I have school, so if I come in the morning, we won't have enough time to finish it."

She looked up with a glint of determination in her eyes. "In the afternoon is fine! I'll be here, don't worry."

"Do I pay you now or later?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter."

He took his wallet out from his poket, and found sixty-seven thousand yen. "Here you go." He said, giving it to her.

"But that's nearly twice as much as it should be!"

"But you deserve it, so just keep it." He urged. **She deserved more than that, actually. If he could give her his wallet, he would**.

"_A-Arigatou gozaimasu_!"

He grinned. "it's nothing, really."

"So...tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yup, make sure you have everything ready!" He said while starting to walk towards the door.

"I will, thanks again!"

"Ditto." He waved and pushed open the door. "_Ja ne_!"

**Natsu was eager to work with her. Oh gosh, how would it go? What if he screwed things up with his terrible kitchen skills? He took a deep breath as he walked to the market to buy fruits. It was the two of them working on this together and alone, for maybe hours. Would this be considered a date? Maybe she hadn't thought of it that way. He barely knew her, and things would already be ruined between them if he asked her on a date. Besides, she didn't think about him like he did about her. Right?**

(To be continued in **Chapter 8: Baking?**)

**NxE427-FT / Daisuke**


	8. Baking?

I Did It for Love, a Fairy Tail fanfic.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone, this is NxE427-FT. I changed my pen name to _**D.S.K.27-FT**_. [The reason can be seen on my profile.] I'm sorry for the long update I took since college classes are just around the corner again. [By the 14th of this month, I'll be taking up my 12nd year in college, so please understand if this fic might take slower updates than before.] This chapter is going to be my advanced apologies to everyone. Now enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Baking?**

* * *

It was Tuesday afternoon, and Natsu had just gotten out of school. Unlike usual Tuesday afternoons, where he'd go home and do homework, he had somewhere important to be.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and someone whispered, "_O-chibi_, be careful."

He turned his head to the side. It was Jellal. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled lightly. "I know where you're going."

If anyone else had said that, he would've thought that he was the star in a horror film.

"Okay. . .what do you mean?"

"God, you're slower than ever today." Jellal groaned with mock-annoyance. "You are going to help Erza bake stuff for your mom's party, right?"

Oh.

He must have passed by in the morning. . .What if he picked up the wrong vibe?

"Oh, um, yeah. . ." he stuttered. "Why do I need to be careful? We're going to bake, that's all."

There was a moment of silence, which Jellal eventually broke.

He cleared his throat. "Look, I don't want to be the one to tell you, but-"

"My cooking skills suck?" He already knew.

"Good, you know!" Jellal patted his head, grinning heartily. Natsu shot him a glare.

"She'll be doing the baking, but I'll be there to help," he stated, "that is, if she needs it. Which she probably won't."

"So basically, the only reason you'll be there is to watch her?"

"Not true!"

Memories of their childhood arguments replayed in his head. He could have sworn that they had this one before. Ironically, the two most prestigious students in the entire university never grew up.

He lifted his wrist and checked the time. If he didn't leave now, there wouldn't be enough time to, er, help Erza. Besides, he didn't deserve her patience.

As usual, Jellal practically read his mind. "You should get going. Don't keep Erza waiting."

He nodded. "Yeah, I should. I'll tell you how it went tomorrow. Bye!" With that, he waved and began walking off.

"_O-chibi_, _chotto matte kudasai_!" Jellal shouted and sprinted over to him.

He turned around. "What? You're holding me up."

"Maybe you should invite her to the party!"

That was a really. . .wonderful idea.

"_Ne..._, I think I will." He smiled and continued walking. "I'll give you a recap of everything later. Bye!"

* * *

Erza sat on a stool, reading. She couldn't concentrate, thanks to agitation. In just a few minutes, she would be cooking with the one person who was clouding her mind for the past week. The minutes seemed to drag by like hours. If he came around now, they would have about three-and-a-half hours to get everything done. He wasn't late, but if only he could come sooner. . .

The door swung open.

"Sorry I couldn't come sooner. . ."

She closed her book and smiled cordially. "Actually, you came sooner than I expected."

"D-Did I disturb you?" He asked.

"No, not at all!" She stood up. "So. . .should we start now?"

"Sure. About how much time do we have?"

"Maybe three hours. Is that okay?"

"As long as it takes." He replied. "Where's the kitchen?"

"Oh! Follow me."

She led him to a door at the back of the room and opened it. Instead of leading to an alley or outdoors, it lead to a kitchen. The scent of freshly baked goods and frosting filled the room. He took a deep breath.

"So what should we do first?"

"What would take the longest?" He figured that she would have the answer to that question, not him.

"The cake probably will. . ." She mumbled. "Let's work on the cake."

"Just so you know, I'm not any good in the kitchen."

Erza laughed. "That's completely okay. Hm, can you preheat the oven at 350 degrees? I'll grease the pans."

That was probably the only thing he could do. He walked to the oven, and simply turned the switch to the appropriate level. "Done."

She was still greasing the three pans. "Good! Now get me the flour, please."

He did as she told, and coated the pans with the flour.

"I already made the batter, so that will save us some time." She walked over to the fridge, and took out a metal bowl. It looked heavy.

"Need help with that?"

As he took the bowl, their hands touched. She immediately let go, but he already had a grip on it. While placing the bowl on the counter, he could see a tint of pinkness on her cheeks. He hoped that he wasn't blushing.

"I-I'll pour the batter." She took the bowl and tilted it slightly, so the batter would come out in just the right amount. When she was done, there was still plenty left.

"Erza," he began, "can you really get sick from eating that?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure...When I was younger, I would always eat it all."

"I would, too." He laughed. "Well, now what?"

"Can you open the oven for me? Be careful."

He nodded and slowly opened the oven. The heat from the inside crept on his skin in a pleasant way. She brought over the pans and carefully placed each of them in the oven, then closed it.

"How long do we wait?" He asked.

"Forty minutes."

"And what can we do meanwhile?"

Erza shrugged and dipped her index finger inside the bowl, then licked it. "Mmm!"

Natsu did the same. His eyes widened. "Geez, that's good..."

"So...how was school?" She asked, dipping her finger again. "Oh! I hope you don't mind..."

"It was alright. Um, Jellal says 'Hi'." He stuck his finger in the batter. For some reason, everyone always made the biggest deal out of "double-dipping". To Natsu, he couldn't care less.

For the next forty minutes, they made small conversation. Once the oven went off and Erza took the pans out, they cooled for ten minutes.

"Can you get me one of the big knives?" She asked, and Natsu brought it over. With the knife, she cut three perfectly rounded circles, each smaller than the other.

She let out a breath of satisfaction. "We're done!"

"It looks awesome." He said, and gave her a thumbs-up. Baking the cake was quicker than he expected, and the best part was that he barely had to do anything!

"But now we need frosting. Can you get me sugar and a measuring cup? They're both in that cabinet." She pointed to a cabinet that was on top of the oven. Meanwhile, she went to the refridgerator and took out a carton of milk and vanilla extract. While adding the ingredients into another bowl, she took a quick glance at the time. They had only wasted an hour!

"Natsu, do you have any experience with blending things?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm terrible in the kitchen. Remember?"

"You can't possibly be that bad, but all right." Erza put the bowl in the mixer and turned it on. "I'm not very good at this either."

"I bet you're amazing at it." He scoffed.

She rolled her eyes and giggled. "No, I'm not."

How could she be so modest? It's like she didn't realize how adept she was.

"Erza, you're good at nearly everything. Or at least-"

In an instant, the mixture was everywhere. All over the walls, the floor, maybe even on him.

"O-Oh my gosh..." She stuttered, cowering behind the counter. "I'm so sorry! I-I told you I was terrible..."

He wasn't angry, though. At all. In fact, he was laughing.

"It's okay!" He chuckled, and she got up. "You have some on your nose."

She wiped it off with a worried expression on her face. "But now we have to clean up, too! What if we run out of time?"

"We won't run out of time. We've only been baking for an hour, and I plan on staying until we're completely done," he said, sternly, "now let's clean up quickly. I doubt it'll stick onto the walls or harden anytime soon."

Erza got a mop and rags, and together they cleaned. To their relief, it only took a few minutes and no damage was done on the walls.

"So...do you want to try this again?" He asked reluctantly. There was no point in asking-she was already pouring the ingredients into the bowl again.

"Of course! I can do it this time, I promise."

As soon as she turned the mixer back on, Natsu ducked behind the counter. Minutes went by, and there was no explosions. Wow, she really kept her word...

"Natsu, you can come out now." She giggled nonchalantly. "Want to help me spread it on the cake?"

He shook his head. "No thank you."

"You'll never improve if you don't try. Please?"

He shook his head again. He planned on marrying someone who could cook well. That way there would be no trouble.

"Fine..." the smile that she previously wore faded from her face as she decorated the cake. He desparately wanted to put his arm around her and tell her to smile, because the cake would come out better if she were to do it alone, but he couldn't.

"Wow, it really looks great." He said, and patted her back gently. He needed at least some sort of contact.

"Thank you!" Erza left the room and quickly came back with a giant box. "Can you help me put it in here?"

Natsu lifted up the cake and the piece of cardboard that it was laying on and hesitantly carried it to the box, sliding it inside. He closed the box and put it in the freezer. "Alright, now can you do the cupcakes?"

"Oh! Those won't take me very long at all. Actually, I baked thirty cupcakes this morning. Would it be okay if we use those? They'll be fine by tomorrow, too."

"Great, and what about the muffins?"

"Those we have to make...but they won't take long. Get me two muffin pans, please."

He did as she said, and placed the pans on the counter.

Erza took the butter and sugar that she had used before and stirred them together in a bowl. "Do you know how to crack eggs?"

"Yes, well, no. Not properly." He felt like an idiot.

"Want to try?"

"No thank you."

She sighed and cracked two eggs by herself, dumping the yolk into the bowl. Then she got the flour and milk that was used previously, and mixed that into the bowl as well. "Pass me the blueberries. They're in the fridge."

Natsu handed her a box of blueberries, and she plopped half of it in there. "Would you like to stir it?"

"Sure." Stirring? What could possibly go wrong? He took the spatula and stirred, not making any mess. "Is this alright?"

"Yeah!" Her face lit up. "You see? You aren't as bad as you think."

He shrugged, and she laughed at his reaction.

"Y-You have a cute laugh." He accidentally blurted out.

"Oh, thanks!" Her eyes widened and she giggled nervously. "Can you help me carry this?" She asked, while taking the bowl and tilting it.

He held onto the bowl, and their hands touched. But neither one of them pulled away as they poured the batter into the pans.

Natsu let go slowly, against his will. "I'll preheat the oven."

After they put the pans inside the oven, they waited awkwardly. Twenty minutes later, the muffins were baked and packed inside two boxes.

Erza cheered. "Yay, we're done! And it really didn't take that long...So, I guess you can go now, if you want."

Suddenly, he remembered what Jellal had told him earlier. "Erza, there's something I think I should ask you..."

She tilted her head. "Yes?"

"Well, um, I really appreciate that you baked so much for my family and...would you like to join me tomorrow night?" He felt relieved as soon as he said it. "Um, I mean, Jellal will be there too, so..."

"Sure! I would love to!"

Was this a joke? I got invited to a party...a party held by the richest family in all of Seoul...and to add to that, I got invited by the guy I...No, she didn't like him. She barely knew him! But he was so...likeable.

"Awesome." He grinned stupidly, thinking about spending quality time with her. "Oh, and I guess I should pay you."

"But you already paid me yesterday!"

"And I'm going to pay you again." He took out his wallet and gave her one-hundred dollars. "Thanks a lot."

"I don't want the money, Natsu!" She protested, but took the money anyway.

"Wear something pretty," he advised, "and I'll pick you up around seven. Does that fit with your schedule?"

"Yes, that'll be fine." Concealing her smile was becoming an issue.

"Well, I'll see you then."

Erza led him out of the kitchen, and held the front door open for him.

"Bye!"

"Bye!" he waved, and walked out.

This would be a real date, wouldn't it? He smirked at the thought.

(To be continued in **Chapter 9: Cinderella Scarlet**)

* * *

A/N: Please be patient if the updates may take longer that you might expect.

D.S.K.27-FT


	9. Cinderella Scarlet

_"Wear something pretty."_

That same phrase ran through her mind all day. Wear something pretty? The only "pretty" she owned was a ruffly, washed-out blue skirt and a white blouse and that didn't say too much. Also, putting into consideration that the other guests would be major business owners, so _extremely_ formal was a must. What was she going to do? This definitely wouldn't give off a good impression at all.

Earlier in the morning, Natsu had come to pick up the sweets. It was brief and earlier than usual, since he had school to attend. Since they would be able to talk later, there was no point in making long conversation.

For the rest of the morning, she had nothing to do but read and worry about finding something to wear.

* * *

"So, how'd it go yesterday?"

Natsu smiled sheepishly as he and Jellal walked to the nearest ramyun place for lunch. "Well. . .it went good."

"Ooh! Explain!' Jellal demanded eagerly.

"We baked for about two hours. . .I didn't do anything, don't worry."

A Cheshire Cat grin formed on Jellal's face. "And?"

"And what?" He knew what Jellal meant, but for some reason he was nervous to say it.

"Did you ask her?"

"Yeah. . ."

"_And?" _He was getting slightly impatient.

"And she said yes."

Natsu earned a hard pat on the back.

"So it'll be the three of us! Right?"

He nodded.

"Do you know what she's planning to wear?" Jellal asked snidely, while opening the door to the sushi restaurant.

Was he [Jellal] trying to fluster him? He walked in and took a seat at the nearest table, picking up the menu. "I-I don't know."

Jellal sat across from him and did the same, eyeing him carefully over the menu. "Does she have money?" He asked in monotone.

He put down the menu. Tempura Rolls were his all-time favorite. "Yeah," he said, "I gave her over four-hundred."

The waitress came, and flirted with them a little. Natsu didn't want to seem rude, but he never replied. After she took their order and left, Jellal said:

"You care about her, don't ya?"

"Well, of course I do. . .You do too."

"You like her, don't ya?"

What was he getting at?

"What do you mean by 'like'?"

"Do you _like,_ _like_ her?"

Jellal was asking for way too much information. Even though they were like brothers, some things were hard to reveal. His feelings for Erza were one of them.

"Do _you_ like her?" He snapped.

"She's my friend," Jellal said, "but that's all she will ever be. You like her."

Natsu gulped, and his friend laughed.

"Hah, you're blushing!" he continued. "So you do like her! I knew it!"

"I-I guess so. . ." It was the truth, he really did.

Before Jellal could reply, the waitress came back with their rolls, and they ate like typical men would. You know the words: the food was gone in less than five minutes.

"Wanna know something?" He said wiping his mouth.

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure she likes you, too."

This caused him to almost fall off his seat. "W-What? You're kidding."

_He was so kidding! _Natsu thought. _That asshole. . ._

The waitress came back with the bill, not bothering to talk to either of them. Jellal took the honors of paying it.

"Sorry I can't stay for longer," he apologized, "but I have places to be." He nudged Natsu, and ran off.

"Gee, thanks."

_So what he was ditching school for the rest of the day?_

He had plans, which he hadn't spoken of. A good plan, to help a good friend.

* * *

"You're taking me _where_?"

"We're going to get you a dress."

Erza was being dragged around town by her best friend. A dress? Why was he doing this for her? She would be fine getting one on her own.

"Jellal, I can handle shopping by myself!"

"I just want you to look your best. . .this is a big event."

Of course, that wasn't the real reason why. He led her into a small boutique full of formal dresses.

"Erza, take a look around."

She nodded, and paced around the store, carefully eyeing each dress. There were all kinds of dresses, varying from thigh-long sapphire ones with ruffles on the bottom to sophisticated magenta dresses that stretched all the way down to the ankle. But only one dress really caught her eye.

"How does this look?" She spun around once.

She looked like a real dress complement every one of her aspects. It was strapless and a light, reddish color-a shade barely any lighter than her hair color- and dropped slightly below her knees. From the waist down, it was covered in ruffles.

His jaw literally dropped. "It looks. . .great."

"Thank you!" Erza smiled and went back into the changing room. When she got out, she found Jellal already waiting by the cash register.

"I'll pay for it." He offered.

She took out her wallet from her purse, shaking her head. She had enough money, so there was no point in having someone else pay!

"The total comes out to be...six-hundred dollars." The cashier said.

That was nearly all the money she had. She felt herself going pale. "I...uh..."

Jellal laughed. "That's why I'll pay for it."

"I'm so sorry..." For some reason, she felt like an apology was necessary. But he was rich enough to get a weekly allowance of $600.

"It's my pleasure. I can't wait to see the look on-" He stopped himself on time. Hopefully she didn't hear him. To his luck, she didn't. The cashier swept his credit card and returned it to him. "Do you need shoes?" He asked.

She nodded. "Maybe I can pay for those this time."

* * *

After she took her bag, he led her to a designer shoe store. _Why such high-end things?_ _I'm not worth spending so much money on. _

There were shoes everywhere. All kinds of shoes, too.

"Have you ever walked in heels?" He asked.

"No. . ."

Walking in heels looked difficult. Erza, who happened to be clumsy, never had an opportunity to try. Mrs. Kanagawa didn't _even _own a pair.

"Well you're smart. You can probably teach yourself in minutes."

"Do I need to wear heels?"

"It would probably be best if you did. . .Go look around."

She came back with a pair of four inch, black heels. "Do these look okay?"

He nodded. "Normal enough."

After she got the proper size and Jellal payed, they left and he walked her home.

"Thank you so much!" Erza exclaimed, hugging him. "If it weren't for you, I would go in rags."

He chuckled. "It's the least I can do for my friend."

"So you'll be there tonight?"

"Yup. I want to see my best friend looking pretty." He winked.

"Oh please!" She looked away.

"I'm only being honest, yeesh. . ." He mumbled while opening the door. "Natsu's going to be impressed."

* * *

Anyone satisfied with my comeback? It's been a while after I updated this fic. Sorry for making you guys wait... It's just... Uh... *speechless*

Anyway, **I'M GOING TO ASK YOU. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH MY COMEBACK?**

**REVIEW PLEASE! :)**

**Auf Wiedersehen!**

**D.S.K.27-FT**

***Btw, I know it's hard to say but, I actually forgot my account but thanks to my e-mail, I was able to recover it! :)**


	10. Leaving Impressions

Erza spun around in a full circle, looking at herself in the mirror.

"You look like a princess." Mrs. Kanagawa said in astonishment.

"D-Do you really mean that?" She was shocked as well. The girl in the mirror's reflection looked like a completely different person.

"Of course I do. Now when will you be leaving?"

"Soon, I think." She wondered what Natsu would think.

"And can I trust this man?" Mrs. Kanagawa asked, brushing out her daughter's hair.

"Mrs. Kanagawa, he's from the Dragneels. And he's very kind... I really think so."

"Do you like him?"

"Well. . ." She had never admitted it to anyone else. "I-I do. . .sort of."

"Sort of? You don't need to feel uncomfortable about voicing your feelings, dear. This is simply a mother-to-daughter conversation between you and me. Right?" She chuckled reassuringly.

Her guardian was right-if Erza was to express herself to anyone, she was the right person to go to. Besides Jellal. But that would probably create an awkward tension between them.

"Yes, I do. . ."

Mrs. Kanagawa smiled.

"But I haven't known him for very long, either. . ." Erza had often watched movies where women confessed their "love" for a man after only a hour or two of speaking. _They were easy_, she thought. Yet, she wouldn't consider herself anywhere near easy. Was she?

Mrs. Kanagawa cleared her throat. "So you think it's, hm. . .love at first sight?"

She nearly tripped over her heels at the question.

"Yes. . ." she said quietly. That _was_ sort of how it went. For her, at least.

"Does he like you, too?"

"I doubt he thinks of me as anything more than a friend. . ."

"Well, good luck. Don't hurt yourself."

"I won't."

As they stopped talking, the door opened.

"You should go, dear. Tell me how it goes later. Don't come back too late!"

Erza gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked out to him. Luckily, she had adapted to walking in heels in only. . .hours?

She looked flawless from head to toe. It took nearly all of Natsu's strength to keep his jaw from dropping to the ground. He couldn't hide how utterly impressed he was, even if he tried. Her long, pin-straight hair flowed down her back gracefully, and the dress gave her a goddess-like touch. If he were to take a magazine full of beautiful models and compare it to her, she would give them a run for their money.

Erza giggled awkwardly. Dammit, he was staring!

"Y-You look really pretty..." he stammered.

She bowed, smiling. That smile never left her face, and it was enough to make him smile, too. "You look really nice, too."

He was taken aback by her complement. Out of all people, he didn't deserve to hear that from her. "Should we go?"

"Yes," she nodded and took his hand as he held it out to her.

Out of politeness, Natsu held the door opened for her. His shock had still not surpassed.

"My car is this way." He pointed to the left as soon as they began walking.

"You drive?"

"Since recently." Driving was something he was perfectly good at, even though he had only been certified for a matter of months. He took the keys from his pocket and unlocked the car. It was nothing flashy, like a Ferrari, but still classy and fast. "Can you?"

_I wish. _She thought. Her family didn't even own a car. "No."

"Oh, well, maybe I can teach you one day." He winked, opening the shotgun door like a gentleman, and she could feel her heart flutter.

"Thank you." She said and got in. A few seconds later, he was in the car as well.

"You aren't nervous, are you?" He chuckled softly. The look on her face looked composed, but slightly nervous. "Don't be. You look lovely, and I'm positive that you will blend in well."

Just hearing it form him eased her nerves.

Like he thought before, she looked lovelier than anyone else at the party.

From the moment that they walked in, hand-in-hand, eyes were on them. Older couples bowed and cooed them, similar to the ladies at his mother's art studio. They would say foolish, awkwardly kind things, such as "Oh! I wish you were my daughter!" and "I wish my children behaved as politely as you do!"

If Erza thought she was too formal, then the other women there must have been over-the-top. Which they were, though.

After making their way through the thick crowd of elderly snobs, Natsu heard a whistle similar to a bird's. They turned around simultaneously.

"Jellal!"

He bowed politely, like everyone else had. He held a glass of wine in his hand and kept a smug look on his face.

"Are you two dating? You complement each other so well!" He joked mockingly.

"Very funny, Jellal." Erza giggled.

"I'm not joking. You _do_ complement each other." He took a tiny sip of his wine.

"He's drunk, Erza. Don't take it as an insult." Natsu advised.

An insult? She didn't understand what he meant. "What do you mean? That's a complement."

He smiled, putting a finger to his lip and shooting a glare at his friend. _Knock it off! _He seemed to say.

"Would you like us to give you a tour of the house?" Jellal asked. "I know it as well as he does."

"I would get lost, wouldn't I?" It seemed completely obliged. The building was nearly the size of a palace! Not to mention that Erza had a way of getting lost..."

"Not if your boyfriend is holding onto you." He said snidely.

The two of them gasped. Yes, they were holding hands, but it was no more than a friendly thing.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

_Yet._

* * *

Yieha! I finally updated again but... Yeah, a big BUT. the fic's nearly going to be over! Yeah, as in _fin_. Let's say... Two or three chapters left... I dunno when will I end it. At least I may end it with them being canon in the story. And IF someone's willing to continue them. :)

Satisfied for my 2nd comeback? I miss reading your reviews guys! :)

Auf Wiedersehen,

D.S.K.27-FT


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